Improvement in torpedo-boats



H. F. HICKS.

TORPEDO-BOAT. No.174,628. Patented March14,1876

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NITED STATES PATENT QFFICE".

HORATIO F. HICKS, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TORPEDO-BOATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [74,628, dated March 14,1876; application filed July :26, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HORATIO F. HICKS, of St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in a Torpedo-Burl, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of my invention is to hurl torpedoes through the water at a specified object, for war or other destructive purposes, by the combination of hurl-barrel A, pistonrod B, and cylinder C. D, as shown in Fig. .l of the accompanying drawing, is a hurl-boat. A is a hurl-barre], which penetrates the bow of boat D. E is a gate, which can be operated to open or shut barrel A, as required. Cap Cris hung on substantial hinges,and opens to admit torpedo H, is water-tight when closed and securely fastened to withstand the pressure of water when gate E is opened.

Piston-rod B is constructed hollow, with the specific gravity of water, operates in cylinder C, and extends through packing-boxes I I into barrel A, with socket J for the reception of boiler by the force of the piston in checking its motion in stop-chamber P. Fis an air-' valve, to allow air to fill barrel A behind torpedo H when hurled. K represents a steamboiler, which furnishes steam to operate the piston through steam-pipes S S. Levers T T T operate the valves in steam-chests M N 0. Cylinder C is made substantially heavy at stopcharnber P to withstand the pressure of steam in checking the velocity of the piston.

To operate the hurl, gate E is shut to keep out the water; cap G is opened; torpedo H is placed in barrel A, with the shaft of torpedo H inserted into socketJ cap G is closed and substantially fastened to resist the pressure of water; gate E is opened; steam is admitted at M and exhausts at N, which drives the piston forward, and hurls the torpedo H through the water beyond the muzzle of barrel A. Steam is out off at M, and as the piston passes exhaust-port N the steam exhausts; the steam being admitted at O checks the motion of the piston B; exhaustport N is closed to exhaust at M, and the piston is carried back to M.

Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawing is a view of hurl-barrel A, piston-rod B at full stroke, and stop-chamber P.

I claim as my invention- In a torpedo-boat, the combination of the hurl-barrel A, piston-rod B, and cylinder C, with their operating devices, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

' HORATIO F. HICKS.

Witnesses BoHN O. .ElIoKs, FLAVIUS J. HICKS. 

